Self-securing grommet



1957, J. B.- WILHELMi SELF-SECURING GROMMET Filed Dec. 50, 1965 Inventor: Julius B. wuzwz i.

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1 z Ta m United States Patent 3,351,974 SELF-SECURING GROMMET Julius B. Wilhelmi, Nantasket, Hull, Mass., assignor to United-Carr Incorporated, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 517,617 6 Claims. (Cl. 16-2) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A resilient, self-attaching grommet particularly adapted for deployment about the push-pull knob of an automobile door lock. A ring-like base has a plurality of radial and perpendicular legs extending from a web at its inner edge. When the grommet is placed in the opening in the door frame and the push-pull knob is passed therethrough, the radial legs are flexed downwardly and the perpendicular legs are forced outwardly and into locking engagement with the edges of the frame opening.

The present invention provides a grommet having means for engaging an apertured workpiece responsive to the passage of an article through the grommet comprising a generally flat, circumferentially continuous base defining an opening therethrough, a plurality of article engaging legs connected to the base and extending substantially radially across the opening therein, and a plurality of workpiece engaging legs generally perpendicular connected to the base of the article engaging legs, whereby said workpiece engaging legs are automatically pressed into locking engagement with the edge of a workpiece opening responsive to the passage of an article through the grommet.

Thus an object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and easily attached grommet.

Another object of the invention is to provide the grommet having integral attaching legs for securing same to an apertured workpiece.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grommet having means integral with the attaching legs which will operate to automatically move the attaching legs into engagement with an apertured workpiece responsive to the insertion of an article into the grommet.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a grommet having an anti-rattle feature.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become evident from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with a viewing of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the grommet;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an installation, with the grommet shown in section depicting the grommet insulating a door lock knob from the door panel of an automotive vehicle; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom in FIG. 3.

The grommet 1 has a generally flat, circumferentially continuous base portion 2 in the form of a circular ring having an internal opening 3. The base 2 is generally arcuate in cross section and has a plurality of thin web sections 4 extending angularly inwardly from portions plan view of the installation shown thereof. A plurality of article engaging legs 5 extend from the webs 4 substantially radial across the opening '3- and terminate in rounded free ends 6 which cooperate to define an article receiving opening 7. A plurality of workpiece engaging legs 8 extend from webs 4 away from the base 2 at approximately right angles to the article engaging legs 5. The outer surface of each of the legs 8 is serrated to provide a number of notches 9.

The above described structure is of unitary construction and is formed of a molded polymeric material, for example, polypropylene. In addition, for decorativeness and to strengthen the grommet, a sheet metal cap 10 preferably chrome plated is crimped about the base 2.

FIGS. 3 and 4 depict an installation utilizing the invention. The metal workpiece 11 having a circular opening 12 cut therein represents the upper portion of the door frame panel of an automobile and the push-pull knob 13 is that employed to operate the door lock.

The assembly is accomplished by inserting the legs 8 into the opening 12 in the workpiece 11 such that the cap 10 and the base 2 of the grommet overlie the upper surface of the workpiece adjacent the opening 12 as shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter the knob 13 is passed through the opening 7 defined by the free ends 6 of the legs 5. Since the diameter of the knob shaft is larger than the opening 7, the legs 5 are forced downwardly and spread outwardly and the legs 8 are forced outwardly to cause the notches 9 to engage the lower edges of the workpiece adjacent the opening 12. The knob shaft, which is usually internally threaded, is then turned on to a bolt (not shown) which is part of the door lock linkage. Thus so long as the knob is connected pressure is maintained on the legs 5 and 8 and the grommet remains securely fixed to the workpiece, Moreover the knob is effectively insulated from the workpiece 11 and the cap 10 by the legs 5 to prevent rattling when the knob is subjected to vibration.

From the foregoing description one will observe that the objects set forth above have been accomplished in a unique fashion and it should be further understood that what has been disclosed for purposes of illustration is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense in that the scope of the invention is best defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A grommet having a means for engaging an apertured workpiece responsive to the passage of an article therethrough comprising a generally flat, circumferentially continuous base portion having an opening therethrough,

a plurality of flexible article engaging legs integrally connected to said base portion and extending substantially radially across the opening in said base and terminating in free ends defining an article receiving opening, and a plurality of workpiece engaging legs integrally connected to said base and said article engaging legs and extending generally normally away from said article engaging legs, whereby upon passage of an article through said article receiving opening said article engaging legs will be deflected axially away from said base and said workpiece engaging legs will be flexed laterally outwardly to engage the edges of the workpiece adjacent the aperture therein.

2. A grommet according to claim 1 wherein said workpiece engaging legs are serrated to provide notches for receiving the edges of the apertured workpiece.

3. A grommet according to claim 1 wherein the free ends of said article engaging legs are rounded to provide a lead-in to said article receiving opening.

4. A grommet according to claim 1 wherein said article and workpiece engaging legs are connected to said base by a web extending angularly inwardly of said base.

5. A grommet according to claim 1 in which is formed of a synthetic resinous material.

6. A grommet according to claim 4 wherein a metal cap is secured to said base portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ogden 8584 Redmond 8584 Rapata 24-73 Millet 8584 Dwyer 8580 CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner. M. PARSONS, ]R., Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,351,974 November 14, 1967 Julius B. Wilhelmi It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 7, strike out "in"; line 9, for the claim reference numeral "4" read 5 Signed and sealed this 26th day of November 1968.

111 M. Fletcher, Jr. EDWARD J. BRENNER -Jesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A GROMMET HAVING A MEANS FOR ENGAGING AN APERTURED WORKPIECE RESPONSIVE TO THE PASSAGE OF AN ARTICLE THERETHROUGH COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY CONTINUOUS BASE POSITION HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH, A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE ARTICLE ENGAGING LEGS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BASE PORTION AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY ACROSS THE OPENING IN SAID BASE AND TERMINATING IN FREE ENDS DEFINING AN ARTICLE RECEIVING OPENING, AND A PLURALITY OF WORKPIECE ENGAGING LEGS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BASE AND SAID ARTICLE ENGAGING LEGS AND EXTENDING GENERALLY NORMALLY AWAY FROM SAID ARTICLE ENGAGING LEGS, WHEREBY UPON PASSAGE OF AN ARTICLE THROUGH SAID ARTICLE RECEIVING OPENING SAID ARTICLE ENGAGING LEGS WILL BE DEFLECTED AXIALLY AWAY FROM SAID BASE AND SAID 